Another image from our recent trip, taken from an Ullswater steamer that took us around the lake for a couple of hours (doesn’t move very quickly !) …the Lake District is well worth another visit soon, hopefully in drier weather, although the ever-changing light in this part of England makes it always a pleasure for landscapes.

Notably on the boat were several with cameras – one guy with a Canon 1D, photographing the punters (probably for a promo leaflet/web photo (!)), a girl taking an odd snap – without much care – with a Sony DSLR, and a few with Panasonic FZs of various vintages. In each case, they had something quite cumbersome to deal with, in less than ideal conditions – so pleased to have had my LX3 with us, with the D3 nowhere to be seen on this trip – way too heavy !

Took a few compact cameras with us on a recent trip to Yorkshire & the lakes …LX3 (of course), Ricoh CX1, Panasonic TZ-3 and Fuji F100fd.

Needless to say, it was the LX3 that gave the smoothest, sharpest & most detailed images of the lot, although I used it less than I would have liked as I needed a longer focal range for many shots. However, I was really pleased with the ones I did shoot with the LX3, and the quality amazes me every time – even now, after 8 months of continuous use.

This image was taken in Ingleton, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park … a stunning location for landscape photography. Just don’t expect dry weather too often, even in July !

Given that there’s been so much new camera activity lately – both in DSLR and compact market areas, as well as the recent launch of the Olympus E-P1, this is apparently some detail on a forthcoming LX3 replacement.

Rumours have been rife for a while – perhaps what we see above will be the reality, and with so many reported LX3 global stock shortages, maybe it’ll be here sooner than we think.

So, for those not quite enamoured of the E-P1 …is the GF1 the Holy Grail ?

Capture at dusk with the LX3 …..The first Peace Pagoda in the western world … this was completed in 1980, at the northern edge of Willen Lake, Milton Keynes. There is a Nipponzan-Myōhōji Order temple and monastery nearby.

What’s a Peace Pagoda ?

A Peace Pagoda is a Buddhiststupa designed to provide a focus for people of all races and creeds, and to help unite them in their search for world peace. Most (though not all) have been built under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii (1885-1985), a Buddhist monk from Japan and founder of the Nipponzan-Myōhōji Buddhist Order. Fuji was greatly inspired by his meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in 1931 and decided to devote his life to promoting non-violence. In 1947, he began[1] constructing Peace Pagodas as shrines to World peace.

The first Peace Pagodas were built as a symbol of peace in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki where the atomic bombs took the lives of over 150,000 people, almost all of whom were civilian, at the end of World War II.

By 2000, 80 Peace Pagodas had been built around the world in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

Civilization is not to kill human beings, not to destroy things, not to make war; civilization is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another. -Most Ven. Fujii

The Peace Pagoda was awarded the Courage of Conscience award June 5, 1998 in Sherborn, MA.

A comp of three images here from the Docklands/Canary Wharf collection.

It’s an area of London that, like so many others in the City, is so full of photographic promise. There are two great likelihoods in photographing parts of London in 2009 :

1/ You’ll get some fantastic images

2/ Completely unexpectedly – or maybe not, now – there’ll be a request not to use your camera …could be the police, a jobsworth security guard, or … the latter, speaking through a mic, plumbed into a ‘speaker somewhere near you.

The last option, where you’re being observed via perhaps a distant camera (!), does seem strange …my own photos are neither for commercial gain (I’d have asked for a ‘permit’), nor for terrorism … I actually quite enjoy photography, thanks … there’s no ulterior motive in my case. However, by photographing certain things in the UK in 2009, we’re apparently guilty until we can prove our innocence.

It seems strange that, in these ever-changing times, our ability to record UK life photographically is so inhibited by the people we ultimately elect to run the country … but one of the best ways to be inconspicuous is to use an LX3, set to RAW capture for ultimate flexibility & quality.

Do that, and read up on the legalities of photography in a public place, work ethically, use your common sense, and you should be able to capture some fantastic images…unscathed, I hope.

Many more LX3 images – of London, and many other subjects – can be found and viewed in safety (!) at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com. Don’t forget to also take a look at http://1001noisycameras.com for more on the LX3 and many other ‘must-have’ photographic tools, which so far, can stil be bought legally !

One of my first images with the LX3, taken on the day I got it. I remember not having had it for long – maybe an hour or two – and this is image number 290 ! And there were very many more shots taken that day … and ever since.

Maybe that’s a good indicator of just how much enjoyment I got from this LX3, and which I still do today. This image was shot at The Jaipur building, in Milton Keynes. It’s a feat of Eastern-style architecture, beautifully built and amazing to look at, especially in good daylight.

The night-lighting of this all-white structure is inventive, and has certainly been carefully thought-out. As a very recognisable part of the MK skyline, it’s also a great photographic subject. I was pleased to capture this image at dusk on that first day with the LX3, and although the original file was already bursting with colour, I’ve also run it through DxO FilmPack on an ‘Agfa Ultra Color’ film type.

Although not as over-the-top as it may have been (I’m talking saturation), the colours have been enhanced, yet remain close to reality …

There are many more LX3 images, including several architectural, cityscape and urban image folders, at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com … hope you enjoy them.

I’d been planning to get a mini tripod for some time, as my full-size D3-handling Manfrotto – which I don’t use very often anyway – lives in my car, and is way bigger than necessary for use with the LX3. Don’t really feel inclined to cart it around, either.

Having searched long & hard for the (I eventually found out) discontinued Giottos QU-200 U-pod, which looked ideal for my planned use, without any luck in finding one, I was short on options.

Many smaller tripods that I looked at were a bit ‘Heath-Robinson’, and were either table-top-use only, or complete overkill. While I was online, ordering a couple of spare batteries and memory cards, I decided to try the ‘Compact camera’ version of the Gorillapod (£14.00).

I can’t say I was particularly attracted by the look of it, but more the usability. Being able to use it like a ‘normal’, straight-legged tripod was of course the plan, but being able to also safely attach the LX3 in position on a fence, railing, branch, chair (as shown above, on the right) etc, is a useful added feature.

There’s a locking ring for extra security, flexible joints on each leg, and foot grips. Therefore, no need for a flat surface from which to work. As you can see above, it’s a consideration that because the LX3 tripod mount is located on the left-hand side of the camera (from the back) … ie just slightly to the left of the square L badge, looking from the front … it’s not quite as stable as I would have liked, but that’s as much to do with the LX3 design, and it’s ok in use, with care.

Some results to follow in a future posting, but so far, so good …definitely recommended, but only for cameras up to a specified weight limit of 325g (11.5oz).. so fine for LX3, but for DSLRs, they make a couple of other models.